Activist demands tree survey at airport site

Times of India: Mumbai: Saturday, November 25, 2017.

Cidco has started pre-development operations in the core aeronautical activity area of the Navi Mumbai international airport project without conducting a survey of the trees located in the acquired villages to be rehabilitated, alleges an RTI activist Sanjay Surve.

An RTI reply by Cidco's horticulture department has stated that they do not have any information about the trees in the airport area. However, Cidco officials have claimed that a survey of trees is being carried out simultaneously with the airport project work.

RTI Activist Sanjay Surve said, "Cidco is wrong in carrying out pre-development work in the core activity area of the Navi Mumbai International Airport project as they have not conducted a survey of the trees, which needs to be replanted as they will be destroyed in the construction activity."

Surve plans to approach the national green body "I will be filing a petition before the National Green Tribunal seeking a stay on Cidco's construction activity at the Navi Mumbai International airport project, till Cidco conducts the survey of all the trees to be affected by the airport project and ensures their protection and preservation."

Surve said that he had filed an RTI query to seek updates on the issue.

"I had sought from Cidco's horticulture Department minutes of the meeting giving sanction to protect and preserve the trees in the villages to be rehabilitated for construction of the Navi Mumbai international airport," said the activist.

The RTI reply states that the information sought is not available with this section that is the horticulture department, added Surve.

Cidco's horticulture officer Geeta Sawant said,"We are in the process of notifying the trees in the core activity area of the Navi Mumbai international airport project. But our department has not yet been directed by the higher authorities to uproot the trees in the airport's core activity area."

With reference to pre-development work started by Cidco in core area before conducting the tree survey, Sawant said that the chief engineer of the airport project is authorized person to respond to the query.

Cidco chief engineer for the airport project, R Dhayatkar said, "There is nothing wrong in carrying out the pre-development work in the core area of the project, as the horticulture department is simultaneously carrying out the tree survey."

The horticulture department will ensure that the number of trees creating obstacles for the airport project will be protected and preserved, he added.